A Tea Party-backed Senate candidate was locked Tuesday in a heated GOP primary battle in Nebraska, where his chief rival is sharply challenging his conservative credentials and a dark horse candidate aims for a come-from-behind surprise.
Ben Sasse, the president of Midland University, has steadily gained the backing of some of the most influential conservative groups and figures as he vies for the seat left by retiring Republican Sen. Mike Johanns.
Sporadic polling has shown Sasse in the lead, giving his Tea Party backers hope as the movement struggles to gain traction this year in the primaries. But primary rival, former state treasurer Shane Osborn, is looking to blunt that momentum in Tuesday's race. Osborn has the backing of allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and has run an aggressive campaign.
Further scrambling the race, another candidate -- Pinnacle Bank President Sid Dinsdale -- has sought to capitalize on the Sasse-Osborn fight and appears to be climbing in the polls, making for an unpredictable election night.
In recent weeks, big names have gravitated to Sasse's side, including Sarah Palin and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Sasse also has the backing of the Club for Growth, the Tea Party Patriots, the Senate Conservatives Fund and FreedomWorks.
Sasse has focused on his conservative credentials, opposition to abortion, support for gun rights and goal of repealing and replacing the health care law.
In one 30-second ad, Sasse's two young daughters, Alex and Corrie, talk about how much their dad opposes the Affordable Care Act. 'He wants to destroy it,' says one daughter. 'He despises it,' says the other.
However, Sasse advised former Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt's firm as the group reached out to businesses and organizations in 2010 to explain and implement the new law. Osborn recently began running a 30-second TV ad linking Sasse to writings and speeches from several years earlier commenting on elements that would become part of the law firmly opposed by most Republicans.
Outside groups and the candidates have spent millions on the race in which the GOP winner is widely expected to prevail in November. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party's campaign operation, has remained neutral.
Trial lawyer Dave Domina faces Larry Marvin in the Democratic primary.
The Tea Party movement is looking for a big win, after having struggled in earlier contests, with their favored candidates losing to establishment favorites in Texas, North Carolina and Ohio.
Looking ahead to upcoming primaries, the Tea Party's chances to upset incumbents have been diminishing in Kentucky, Kansas, Idaho and Mississippi.
Nebraska also has a fierce race for governor involving two leading candidates -- Attorney General Jon Bruning against Omaha businessman Pete Ricketts. Term limits prevented Republican Gov. Dave Heineman from running again.
Voting was also underway Tuesday in West Virginia.
Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is favored to win the GOP primary for the Senate seat of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who is stepping down after 30 years. Her likely rival is Natalie Tennant, ensuring that West Virginia elects its first female senator in history.
Capito has the clear edge, and if elected would be West Virginia's first Republican senator since 1959.
Capito's planned departure from the House created a messy GOP primary in her 2nd Congressional District that stretches across the state. Among the top Republicans are Charlotte Lane, a former commissioner of the U.S. International Trade Commission; Alex Mooney, the former chairman of the Maryland GOP who moved to the state, and pharmacist Ken Reed.
In his appeal to voters, Mooney's campaign said he moved to West Virginia to 'live in freedom, and he'll fight Obama to preserve it.'
Reed plays up his West Virginia roots and talks in his ad about 'how bad Obama and the EPA are hurting us.'
Democrats are hoping that their likely nominee, former state party chairman Nick Casey, can snatch a GOP seat.
One of the most endangered House Democrats is 19-term Rep. Nick Rahall, who is likely to face Democrat-turned-Republican Evan Jenkins in the fall.
bberitaa.blogspot.com contributed to this report.
Posted by Unknown on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
0 comments "Tea Party"
Post a Comment